Good Afternoon Trevor-


The farmers finally got some rain. We are grateful and the plants are responding nicely. The soil is quite warm and this little shot of rain is helping the corn, beans, and field crops pop up, and the produce - even that on irrigation - knows the difference between a sip of water thru drip tape and a good shower.


This week we are still waiting on a majority of the produce to come on. It's been a slow start to the growing season, but the farmers are optimistic. We're excited to see some soil grown, hoop house tomatoes this week -- heirloom + regular slicers available.


As for strawberries, this continues to be the worst year I've ever seen for berries. We have trucks visiting our berry growers every day this week, and we don't know what we get until we get there. If there are any berries, we'll have them at the back of the truck.


In this newsletter:

  • Father's Day Sales - steaks, sausage bundle with new feature sausages
  • Housekeeping items - vacation policy and missed pickups
  • Pullet Eggs - the lifecycle of a laying hen and a dip in production.



Thank you again,

Trevor & the FFM team

Late Signups

If you or a friend are still considering joining, we would love to have you. Our farmers are excited to feed your families this summer!


Late signups are pro-rated so that you pay for when you join through the end of the season.


For full details, including pricing and pickup locations, visit here: Summer Season Info Page



Easy Online Signup Here
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Promotions and Sales

Father's Day Steak Sale - 10% Off


Maybe Dad is grilling his own steak, but that's OK. Let him bask in the tranquility of a good steak sizzling on the grill.


This week we loaded up our online store with:

Porterhouse - tenderloin on one side of the bone, and strip steak on the other

T-Bone - same cut as porterhouse but with less tenderloin

Bone-In Ribeye Steaks - cut about 1.25" thick with the bone, our best selling steak

Tenderloin Medallions - between 4 and 8 ounces, individual filets of tenderloin

Strip Steak - boneless loin steak, NY strip


All beef is 100% grassfed for health and flavor. Please don't cook your steak past medium rare for best results.


All You Need Now is a Beer Bundle - $50


[ $10 off our usual bundle savings price ]


Grilling season is here, and whether you opt for the fast heat of a gas grill or the slow, tender cooking power of a smoker, this bundle has something for you.


Includes: approx 6.5# total

Chicken Breast (~1.5#)

Hot Dogs, beef + pork blend (~1#)

Beef Burger Patties (~1.25#, 4 patties)

Mild Italian Chicken Patties (~1.2#, 4 patties)

Cheddar Jalapeno Bratwurst Patties (~1#, 4 patties)

Boston Butt Roast (~2.5 - 3#).


The bone in pork butt roast (aka Boston Butt) is ideal for a smoked pork shoulder or simply braised and seasoned for bbq pulled pork.


Our chicken breasts are second to none. We start by raising our chickens only in the green months on organic pastures where they dine on the pasture as well as their milled feed. These birds benefit from the sunshine, exercise, and the micronutrients of the pasture to produce a flavorful, moist breast with a firm yet tender texture.  


Our burgers and dogs are made from grassfed beef. The hot dogs are 8 hog dogs per lb and the burgers are 3 patties per lb, 4 patties per package (1.2# per package).  


Chicken patties are a mild italian seasoned (4 patties per pack, ~1.2#).


Cheddar Jalapeno Bratwurst Patties spice up burger night. Not overly spicy -- just enough heat and the smoked cheddar in the patties gives a subtle hint of smokiness.


It's Grilling Time - Sausage Bundle - $32


Try a variety of brats at a big discount, including new flavors. Each package is 4 links of each.


New: Roasted Red Pepper and Mozzarella Chicken Brat

New: Great Lakes Dortmunder Beer Brat

Italian Sausage Links

Hot Dogs (beef + pork blend, 8 pack)


Price: $32 (save $7)


Burgers - $1 off


We figured you may want burgers with your brats too. All burgers are $1 off per package this week.


Steak Burgers - ground trim from strip loin, tenderloin, and ribeye. 1/3# patties, 4 per pack


Plain Beef Burgers - whole steer burger formed into 1/3# patties, 4 per pack


Beef and Bacon Burgers - smoked bacon trim ground into our grassfed beef. 1/3# patties, 4 per pack


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Housekeeping Items

Thank you all for supporting us this summer. We know that the idea of a bag of groceries at a refrigerated truck in a remote parking lot is odd...and out of your routine.


We try to be as flexible as possible and have a few policies to help us all work together.


Vacation Requests. We offer up to 4 "skips" per year, which we call vacation requests. We place our orders by Sunday with our farmers and need your request in by Saturday at Midnight.


You can simply register a vacation request through your online account. Credits for each week are available when you get back to spend at the back of the truck or online on extras. Credits do expire after a while. Why? We learned the hard way years back and everyone waits until the last week to use them...when we can't fill the orders and there isn't enough available.


Read the full vacation policy here: Vacation Policy


Missed Pickups. We know you may be running late or have forgotten to pick up. We have planned our routes to offer some easy alternatives.


Option 1: Show up anywhere. Check our truck schedule and just show up, no need to call or email. We overpack the trucks to allow for this. A full list of pickup locations is here: Summer Pickup Locations


Option 2: Last Call for the week. We have added an all-day stop on Saturdays at Ohio City Provisions, 10 AM to 7 PM. Go there and they'll take care of you. After 3 pm depending on how many folks come for last call, we may have to adjust your bag contents.


Ohio City Provisions is at 3208 Lorain Ave, Cleveland. When you pick up there, be sure to check out the meats, cheeses, and wines. FFM pickup customers get 10% off their purchase that day.


Unfortunately, if you completely forget and don't show up, we can't offer a credit/refund as we have the food for you.

The Incr-egg-ible Laying Hen

You may have noticed lately that we've been a bit light on eggs.


The logistics of keeping hens is challenging, and right now we are welcoming in the "new girls" as our mature hens stop laying.


A young laying hen is called a pullet. Hens, like all other chickens, must be started in a very warm building called a brooder. The pullets are then fed out for about 18 weeks (4 months) before we start to see the first eggs. The first eggs are then very small and unmarketable. We use those for kitchen products like our baking.


Between weeks 18 and 22, the eggs start to size up and by week 22, we start to get a good supply of large eggs. Right now, the hens are approaching 21 weeks of age and our egg supply is on the way up again.


But age isn't everything. Hours of daylight also matter. A hen's ovulation cycle is determined by hormones that respond to hours of daylight. A hen needs a minimum of 14 hours of daylight per day to start laying eggs. This corresponds naturally to the spring, and when the birds are raised outside, it makes sense to start new hens in the spring.


The logistics challenge of starting new hens. Space is limited on a farm, and where do you keep birds that aren't laying eggs for 22 weeks separate from those that are producing? And how do you keep them from mixing? I've had them mix before, then you end up feeding hens that don't give eggs. You can sort them out, but it's time consuming.


Right now, the old hens are gradually being culled out for "stewing hens" to make room for the new pullets.


How long will the hen lay? A hen can lay in cycles for several years, but not profitably. Generally, we'll keep the hens for about 18 months, and in the winter, add artificial light in the barn to keep them laying. This year's flock will lay through the end of next summer.


A hen naturally wants to go into a "molt." This is when she quits laying eggs and sheds her feathers. She will eventually start laying again, but at a reduced production. You can delay a molt by controlling the lights in the winter, but only for so long.


How many eggs per day? A hen eats about 4 ounces of feed per day and lays a maximum of 1 egg per day. We figure in about 6 eggs per week at max per hen.

Bag Contents

Small Omnivore

Zucchini (2 ct)

Asparagus (1#)

Lacinato Kale (1#)

Radishes (12 oz)

Leaf Lettuce (1 head)

Pork Roast (~ 2#)

Small Vegetarian

Zucchini (2 ct)

Asparagus (1#)

Lacinato Kale (1#)

Radishes (12 oz)

Leaf Lettuce (1 head)

Bunching Onions (1 bunch)

Beets (1 bunch)




Mini

Zucchini (2 ct)

Asparagus (1#)

Lacinato Kale (1#)

Radishes (12 oz)

Leaf Lettuce (1 head)

Large Omnivore

Zucchini (2 ct)

Asparagus (1#)

Lacinato Kale (1#)

Radishes (12 oz)

Leaf Lettuce (1 head)

Pork Roast (~ 2#)

Beets (1 bunch)

Garlic Scapes (2 oz)

Kohlrabi (1 bulb)

Broccoli (1 head)

Chicken Thighs (4 ct)




Large Vegetarian

Zucchini (2 ct)

Asparagus (1#)

Lacinato Kale (1#)

Radishes (12 oz)

Leaf Lettuce (1 head)

Bunching Onions (1 bunch)

Beets (1 bunch)

Garlic Scapes (2 oz)

Kohlrabi (1 bulb)

Broccoli (1 head)

Cheese (8 oz)

Mushrooms (6 oz)

Cauliflower (1 head)

English Muffins (1 bag)

Small Vegan

Zucchini (2 ct)

Asparagus (1#)

Lacinato Kale (1#)

Radishes (12 oz)

Leaf Lettuce (1 head)

Bunching Onions (1 bunch)

Beets (1 bunch)

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